Rules revision

What is the Open SU rules revision?

Our governance rules state that every four years we must open the floor for students to submit changes they would like to see to the Union's articles and bye-laws that govern how we are run.

The Rules Revision is about Open SU members being able to suggest ways of improving how your Students Union functions, updating our constitution and procedures so they speak for current Open University students and better reflect student voices.

Thank you for all your submissions, we really appreciate your time to send us your ideas. They are all being reviewed and will be taken to our Board of Trustees meeting in April for their consideration.

All OU students are members of the Union, which means you have a say in how we’re governed. You’ll be able to read governance change ideas submitted by your fellow students on this page, and share your feedback. Trustees will consider suggestions, comments and views, and you will be able to formally vote on anything that gets taken to our 2026 Conference.

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Rules revision

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Term of office

Submitted 2 months ago by Nicola Simpson

Current
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Each role should be elected for a term lasting not more than 1 year. Elections should be held annually. Should the role of president become vacant during the term, the deputy president should assume the role of president until the end of the term.

Open SU: 12:30pm on 22 Jan 26 Thank you for your suggestion. For those who would like to consider this topic further, the relevant sections of our governance documents are: Bye-laws: Section 10: Election of Student Leadership Team Members and Student Trustees (in particular point 10.3 regarding frequency of elections), and points 4.2.12 to 4.2.14 which prescribe procedures should the President role become available mid-term.
Charon Gates: 11:35am on 5 Feb 26 Disagree you are need time to get to know your role and 1 year is not enough to make change as an SLT. In addition the cost implications to Open SU which is a charity need to be considered
William Docherty: 2:53pm on 5 Feb 26 I agree with Charon on this, I think the two year term is good and should remain
Scarlet James: 3:15pm on 5 Feb 26 One year is not enough to make an impact in that position
Harrison Jenkins: 5:47pm on 5 Feb 26 I don't think every role should be limited to a maximum one-year term with automatic succession from deputy to president if the presidency becomes vacant. While annual elections sound democratic, such short terms can undermine continuity, long-term planning, and effective delivery on major projects. Student leadership roles often involve complex initiatives, policy work, and relationship-building that take longer than a year to develop and implement. Limiting all roles to one year can lead to constant turnover, loss of experience, and repeated “resetting” of priorities. Allowing the possibility of longer terms or re-election for continuity can strengthen impact and stability. In addition, automatically moving the deputy into the president role removes choice from students at a key moment. A vacancy at the top is significant, and students should ideally have a say through a by-election or confirmation process rather than succession happening by default. Leadership legitimacy should come directly from student mandate, not just position in line.

More information

What is a rules revision?

Every four years, the Union can update how we are run according to our governing documents, and the rules revision period allows students to submit any changes they think should be made to how we do that.

What are the Unionʼs Articles and Bye-laws?

The articles and Bye-laws are the documents that define who we are, what we do, and how we do it. They govern our decision-making and reflect what OU students want us to be focusing on. For example, they include how our student leaders are appointed, how Trustees are required to make their decisions, and the format of our biannual Conference.

Why is this process happening?

In line with the Open SUʼs Bye-laws, a Rules Revision should be held every four years. This gives all members of the Union the opportunity to be involved in the process of reviewing the Unionʼs articles, and being a part of potential changes.

Who can propose changes?

All Open University students are invited to submit changes during the submission period.

How are changes approved?

Once the first round of submissions are processed, there will be an additional period of online discussion on the initial submissions. This will provide answers to any questions, any additional information that is required, and the opportunity for other students to provide feedback on submissions.

After these online discussions, the submissions will be considered by Trustees, who will make the final decisions on what will be taken to the Open SUʼs biannual Conference , where OU students will have the final vote on which changes to the way we run are approved. These will then be actioned by staff and student leaders at the Open SU.

Rules revision

What is the Open SU rules revision?

Our governance rules state that every four years we must open the floor for students to submit changes they would like to see to the Union's articles and bye-laws that govern how we are run.

Submit your rule revision

Rules revision

Term of office

More information

What is a rules revision?

What are the Unionʼs Articles and Bye-laws?

Why is this process happening?

Who can propose changes?

How are changes approved?